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Quizzes > Health & Medicine > Psychology & Mental Health

Ready to Master Motor Control Theories? Take the Quiz!

Dive into this motor learning quiz and explore coordinated movement theories!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Layered paper cut human silhouette with gears arrows symbolizing motor learning and control on teal background

Are you fascinated by how the brain and body coordinate every step, reach, and balance? Our free quiz on motor control theories puts your knowledge to the test! Dive into core concepts of motor learning, coordinated movement theories, and neurophysiology quiz challenges. Whether you're a student, therapist, or enthusiast, this interactive journey will sharpen your grasp of motor control characteristics and pinpoint your strengths. Ready for the ultimate brain - body workout? Start with our neuro motor systems quiz , then push further with a motor neuron quiz. Click to prove your expertise and level up your understanding today!

Motor control primarily refers to the study of:
Neural, physical, and behavioral processes underlying movement
Nutritional effects on muscle
Psychological effects of competition
Biomechanical properties of bones
Motor control explores how the nervous system and musculoskeletal structures interact to produce coordinated movement. It encompasses neural processes, biomechanical constraints, and behavior patterns during motion. This field integrates neuroscience, biomechanics, and psychology to understand movement control. Source
Which principle describes the relationship between movement speed and accuracy?
Weber's Law
Fitts' Law
Power Law of Practice
Hick's Law
Fitts' Law states that the time to move to a target depends on the distance to and size of the target, illustrating a speed - accuracy tradeoff. It predicts that movements to smaller or more distant targets take longer. This principle is fundamental in human - computer interaction and ergonomics. Source
Sensory feedback used to adjust ongoing movements is known as:
Feedforward control
Feedback control
Motor program
Open-loop control
Feedback control relies on sensory information (visual, proprioceptive) to modify a movement while it is in progress. It contrasts with feedforward control, which uses anticipatory commands without adjustment. Feedback mechanisms improve accuracy but introduce processing delays. Source
Open-loop control systems are characterized by:
Dependence on reflexes
High adaptability to perturbations
Continuous sensory adjustments
No feedback during execution
Open-loop systems execute preplanned commands without using sensory feedback to adjust the movement. They are fast and predictable but cannot correct errors mid-movement. Examples include ballistic actions like a rapid tennis serve. Source
Which brain structure is primarily involved in coordination and timing of movement?
Thalamus
Cerebellum
Basal ganglia
Primary motor cortex
The cerebellum integrates sensory input with motor commands to fine-tune movement timing, coordination, and precision. Lesions in the cerebellum lead to ataxia, characterized by uncoordinated and inaccurate movements. It plays a crucial role in motor learning and adaptation. Source
What is a motor program?
A prestructured set of motor commands
A continuous visual monitoring process
A sensory feedback loop
A reflexive muscle contraction
A motor program is an abstract representation of a movement plan containing the timing and sequence of muscle activations. It allows for rapid, coordinated actions without reliance on feedback during execution. Generalized Motor Program theories posit invariant features and parameters that adapt to contexts. Source
Reaction time refers to the interval between:
Stimulus onset and movement initiation
Decision-making and muscle activation
Movement onset and completion
End of one movement and start of next
Reaction time measures the delay from the presentation of a stimulus to the initiation of a motor response. It reflects processing speed in perceiving, deciding, and organizing movement commands. Variations in reaction time are used to infer cognitive and motor processing. Source
Motor learning is best defined as:
Immediate response to feedback
Temporary performance changes
Biomechanical adaptation
Permanent capability change due to practice
Motor learning involves relatively permanent improvements in skill performance as a result of experience or practice. Unlike temporary performance fluctuations, learning persists over time and contexts. Retention and transfer tests confirm true learning. Source
Which stage of Fitts and Posner's model is marked by rapid performance gains?
Associative stage
Autonomous stage
Cognitive stage
Expert stage
The cognitive stage is the initial phase of skill acquisition where learners understand the task and make large performance improvements through trial and error. Attention demands are high as they figure out strategies. Errors are common and feedback is critical. Source
A discrete skill is characterized by:
Variable sequence of actions
Continuous repetition without clear start
A distinct beginning and end
Repetitive cycles like walking
Discrete skills have identifiable start and end points, such as throwing a ball or pressing a button. They contrast with continuous skills, which cycle until stopped. Classification aids in designing practice and feedback. Source
Retention tests in motor learning assess:
Skill maintenance after a break
Motivation levels
Transfer across different tasks
Immediate performance improvement
A retention test measures how well a skill is maintained following a period without practice. It distinguishes true learning from temporary performance gains. A stable performance after rest indicates strong retention. Source
Motor synergies refer to:
Isolated muscle contractions
Reflexive movements only
Sensory integration without action
Coordinated multi-muscle activations
Synergies are functional groupings of muscles or joints that act cooperatively to produce stable, coordinated movements. They help solve the degrees-of-freedom problem by constraining patterns. Synergy analysis reveals how the nervous system simplifies control. Source
Proprioception is the sense of:
Pain intensity
External temperature
External sound
Body position and movement
Proprioceptors in muscles, tendons, and joints provide information about limb position and movement. This sensory feedback is essential for coordinating complex actions. Loss of proprioception leads to uncoordinated, imprecise movements. Source
Adams' closed-loop theory emphasizes the role of:
Dynamic systems
Open-loop commands only
Memory and perceptual traces
Random variability
Adams' theory posits two memory structures: the memory trace selects and initiates the movement, while the perceptual trace guides ongoing adjustments using sensory feedback. Errors strengthen the perceptual trace. This model explains slow movements with feedback dependence. Source
An invariant feature of a generalized motor program is:
Relative timing between elements
Muscle selection
Overall force
Absolute duration
Invariant features, such as relative timing and sequence order, remain constant across different executions of a GMP. Parameters like overall duration or force can change while maintaining these features. This distinction supports the concept of scalable motor programs. Source
Which type of feedback provides information about movement quality during execution?
Knowledge of results
Knowledge of performance
Terminal feedback
Delayed feedback
Knowledge of performance delivers kinematic or biomechanical information about how a movement was performed, often during the action. It contrasts with knowledge of results, which provides outcome feedback after completion. KP can facilitate error correction in complex tasks. Source
Dynamic systems theory proposes that movement patterns emerge from:
Random neural firing
Central executive commands
Predefined motor programs
Interactions among organism, task, and environment
Dynamic systems theory views coordination as self-organization arising from constraints imposed by the organism, task demands, and environmental conditions. Control parameters and order parameters govern pattern formation. No central program is needed to dictate every action. Source
Hick's Law describes the relationship between:
Number of choices and reaction time
Feedback frequency and error rate
Practice amount and skill retention
Movement speed and target size
Hick's Law states that reaction time increases logarithmically with the number of response alternatives. This reflects decision complexity in stimulus - response tasks. It is applied in interface design to minimize choice overload. Source
Distributed practice is characterized by:
Variable task order
Blocked repetition of one skill
No rest between trials
Longer rest intervals than practice intervals
In distributed practice, rest periods equal or exceed practice durations, allowing recovery and cognitive processing between trials. It often enhances retention for complex skills. Massed practice, by contrast, has minimal rest and can lead to fatigue. Source
Constant error in a aiming task measures:
Directional bias from the target
Trial-to-trial variability
Average absolute deviation
Movement time
Constant error is the signed difference between the target location and the movement endpoint, reflecting average directional bias. It indicates systematic overshoot or undershoot. Variable error measures consistency around the mean error. Source
The basal ganglia primarily contribute to movement by:
Error correction online
Transmitting sensory feedback
Initiating and selecting motor programs
Generating rhythmic patterns
The basal ganglia are involved in selecting and initiating voluntary movements by regulating cortical output. Dysfunction leads to movement disorders like Parkinson's disease. They modulate motor program facilitation and inhibition. Source
Which neurotransmitter is critical for basal ganglia function?
Acetylcholine
Serotonin
Dopamine
GABA
Dopamine produced by the substantia nigra modulates basal ganglia circuits, facilitating movement initiation and control. Loss of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease impairs these functions. Dopamine's role is central in reward and motor pathways. Source
Specificity of practice principle states that:
Learning transfers only to similar conditions
Feedback frequency should be constant
Random practice is always best
Practice duration is irrelevant
Specificity of practice holds that skills improve most under practice conditions that closely match performance contexts, including environment, sensory feedback, and task parameters. Transfer drops when conditions differ. Designing practice around target contexts optimizes learning. Source
The retention interval is defined as the time between:
Feedback and next task
Pre-test and immediate practice
Practice end and retention test
Two successive trials
The retention interval separates practice from the retention test, assessing how well a skill is maintained without intervening practice. Longer intervals challenge memory consolidation. Performance stability after the interval indicates learning. Source
Heterarchical control in dynamic systems suggests that:
Only spinal reflexes generate movement
A single executive center controls movement
Multiple levels interact without strict hierarchy
Motor programs are fixed sequences
Heterarchical control posits that movement emerges from interactions across different neural and biomechanical levels rather than top-down commands alone. Control parameters modulate these interactions. This contrasts with strict hierarchical models. Source
The equilibrium point hypothesis proposes that:
Movement arises by shifting referent limb positions
Muscle synergies are irrelevant
Movements are preprogrammed without feedback
Spinal reflex arcs solely generate motion
The equilibrium point hypothesis suggests the CNS sets a referent position or equilibrium so muscle spring-like properties move the limb toward that point. No explicit trajectory commands are needed; mechanics and feedback handle movement. This model unifies posture and movement control. Source
Motor equivalence refers to the:
Achievement of the same outcome via different patterns
Inability to adapt movements
Use of the same muscles each time
Dependence on sensory feedback only
Motor equivalence is the capacity to produce the same action goal using different effectors or muscle patterns. It demonstrates flexibility in the motor system and supports the concept of generalized motor programs. This feature aids adaptation to changing constraints. Source
In the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis, variance within the manifold:
Requires open-loop control
Has no effect on task success
Negatively impacts performance
Is minimized at all costs
The uncontrolled manifold concept posits that variability along dimensions that do not affect task success is allowed, while variance orthogonal to that manifold is minimized. This structure explains why some variability is functional. It reveals how the CNS organizes degrees of freedom. Source
An internal forward model in motor control is used to:
Predict sensory consequences of motor commands
Store long-term motor programs
Generate reflexive responses
Eliminate the need for feedback
Forward models simulate the expected sensory outcome of motor commands, enabling rapid error detection and prediction before actual feedback arrives. They support feedforward control and smooth movement. The cerebellum is implicated in forward modeling. Source
Control parameters in dynamical systems theory:
Dictate phase transitions of movement patterns
Provide real-time performance feedback
Encode muscle synergies directly
Are invariant features of programs
Control parameters (e.g., speed) influence stability and can induce shifts between movement patterns, known as phase transitions (e.g., walk to run). They act as tuning variables in self-organizing systems. This explains abrupt behavioral changes with gradual parameter adjustments. Source
The margin of stability (MOS) in gait analysis quantifies:
Error between intended and actual step
Distance between center of mass and base of support boundary
Speed-to-accuracy tradeoff
Duration of single limb support
MOS measures dynamic balance by evaluating how far the extrapolated center of mass is from the base of support boundary. A larger MOS indicates greater stability. It combines kinematic and kinetic data to assess fall risk. Source
A central pattern generator (CPG) is a neural network that:
Generates rhythmic motor patterns without sensory input
Adjusts movement via sensory feedback only
Stores feedforward models
Controls eye movements exclusively
CPGs are neural circuits in the spinal cord or brainstem capable of producing rhythmic outputs (e.g., locomotion) in the absence of sensory feedback. They demonstrate intrinsic pattern generation. Sensory input can modulate CPG activity. Source
According to ecological theory, affordances are:
Muscle recruitment patterns
Neural feedback loops
Learned motor programs
Action possibilities in the environment
Affordances are actionable properties of the environment relative to the organism's capabilities (e.g., a chair affords sitting). They link perception directly to action without cognitive mediation. This concept emphasizes perception - action coupling. Source
Signal-dependent noise in motor commands implies that:
Noise decreases as movement speed rises
Noise level is constant across forces
Variability is unrelated to muscle activation
Variability increases with command magnitude
Signal-dependent noise grows proportionally with the amplitude of the motor command, leading to greater variability in faster or stronger movements. This underlies the speed - accuracy tradeoff. Planning strategies account for this noise. Source
The power law of practice describes how performance improvements:
Follow a logarithmic decay function
Occur only in early practice
Increase linearly with practice
Are unaffected by feedback
The power law of practice indicates that performance (e.g., movement time) improves quickly at first and then at a slower rate, following a negatively accelerating power function. This reflects diminishing returns with continued practice. Source
Bernstein's degrees-of-freedom problem highlights that:
Sensory feedback is unnecessary
Only one movement solution exists
Motor programs handle all variability
Multiple joint/muscle choices complicate control
The degrees-of-freedom problem notes that the motor system must coordinate many independent elements (joints, muscles) to produce smooth movement. Solutions like synergies and motor programs reduce complexity. Bernstein's work laid the foundation for modern control theories. Source
An inverse internal model in motor control is responsible for:
Computing motor commands for desired state
Storing feedback corrections
Monitoring limb dynamics online
Predicting sensory outcomes
Inverse models calculate the necessary motor commands to achieve a desired sensory state or movement outcome. They complement forward models that predict consequences. Together, they enable efficient feedforward and feedback control. Source
Optimal feedback control theory proposes that motor output is organized to:
Eliminate all variability
Follow invariant motor programs strictly
Maximize energy expenditure
Minimize a cost function balancing error and effort
Optimal feedback control models describe the CNS as minimizing a cost function combining task error, effort, and variability under noise constraints. Control policies adapt online to changing conditions. This theory explains flexible corrections and motor redundancy. Source
In state-space models of trial-by-trial adaptation, the retention factor determines:
Sensitivity to current error
Magnitude of random noise
How much of the previous adaptation is preserved
Rate of muscle fatigue
The retention factor (often denoted A) represents the proportion of learned adaptation retained between trials. A value near 1 indicates high memory persistence, while values near 0 reflect rapid decay. This parameter shapes learning curves in adaptation tasks. Source
Impedance control in motor neuroscience refers to modulation of:
Only sensory feedback gains
Motor program sequence order
Stiffness, damping, and inertia properties of limbs
Neural firing rates
Impedance control involves adjusting limb mechanical properties (stiffness, damping, inertia) to maintain stability and interact safely with environments. It complements position control and relies on co-contraction. The CNS regulates impedance through muscle activation patterns. Source
Muscle synergies can be extracted from EMG data using:
Convolution filters
Fourier analysis
Principal component analysis
Signal averaging
Principal component analysis (PCA) and non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) are common techniques to identify low-dimensional muscle synergy patterns from high-dimensional EMG signals. These methods reveal coordinated activation modules. Source
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Core Motor Control Theories -

    Gain clarity on foundational concepts like open- and closed-loop models and how key motor control theories explain human movement.

  2. Analyze Coordinated Movement Characteristics -

    Identify the defining features of coordination, including degrees of freedom, synergies, and the role of feedback in motor control.

  3. Apply Motor Learning Principles -

    Use theories of practice schedules, feedback types, and stages of learning to optimize skill acquisition and retention.

  4. Evaluate Neurophysiological Mechanisms -

    Examine neural pathways, sensory integration, and motor cortex involvement that underpin coordinated movement and control.

  5. Compare Movement Control Models -

    Distinguish between classic and contemporary coordinated movement theories and assess their relevance in real-world tasks.

  6. Assess Performance Improvement Strategies -

    Determine evidence-based techniques for enhancing motor learning and fine-tuning motor control characteristics in diverse populations.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Motor Program Theory -

    Motor Program Theory posits that complex movements are controlled by preplanned neural commands stored as generalized motor programs, highlighting key motor control characteristics like sequencing and timing. For instance, typing on a keyboard executes as an open-loop action without continuous sensory feedback. Use the mnemonic "GMP" (Generalized Motor Program) to remember how a single core program adapts to different limbs or force levels.

  2. Schmidt's Schema Theory -

    Schema Theory suggests we build adaptable rules (schemas) through practice, forming recall schemas for movement initiation and recognition schemas for feedback analysis, a cornerstone topic in any motor learning quiz. A simple mnemonic is "IRO" (Initial conditions, Response specifications, Outcomes) to recall the three schema components guiding parameter selection each time. This framework explains why varied practice enhances transfer of learning to new tasks.

  3. Dynamic Systems Theory -

    Dynamic Systems Theory frames movement as self-organizing patterns arising from interactions between the individual, task, and environment, a key concept in coordinated movement theories. Gait transitions illustrate attractor states as walking shifts to running at a critical speed due to stability constraints. Remember "PEO" (Person - Environment - Object) to evaluate how constraints shape movement dynamics.

  4. Feedback vs. Feedforward Control -

    Understanding closed-loop (feedback) and open-loop (feedforward) control is crucial for neurophysiology quiz prep, as feedback adjusts errors mid-action while feedforward relies on predictions. Catching a ball uses visual feedback to refine hand position, whereas a rapid tennis serve relies on preprogrammed feedforward commands. A handy trick: "See - Plan - Do - Check" outlines the feedback cycle of sensorimotor control.

  5. Fitts' Law for Speed - Accuracy -

    Fitts' Law quantifies the speed - accuracy tradeoff with the equation MT = a + b·log2(2A/W), where MT is movement time, A is movement amplitude, and W is target width, an essential point in any motor control characteristics review. For example, pointing tasks to smaller targets take longer due to higher index of difficulty (ID = log2(2A/W)). Use the phrase "Feed the ID" to recall that higher difficulty demands slower, more precise movements.

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